PRODUCT LIABILITY LAWYERS IN VIRGINIA
Despite strictly enforced federal statutes in place to monitor and enforce safety in product manufacturing, defective products hurt people every day. Many people are even killed by products that the manufacturers either knew – or should have known – were dangerous. If a product harms you in the course of its normal use and you weren’t warned of this risk, the manufacturer of that product may be held responsible.
The key to winning a product liability lawsuit is a complete and thorough investigation of all the parties that may have had a role in causing your injury. There can be numerous parties involved in the manufacture, delivery, and sale of a defective product, including the:
- Manufacturer
- Assembler
- Supplier Testing lab
- Ad agency
- Distributor
- Retailer
- Repairer
When faced with the potential of a lawsuit for a defective product, any one or all of these parties is more than willing to engage in cover up, sabotage, non-disclosure, or foul play to avoid culpability. An attorney with the knowledge, experience, and tenacity to get to the bottom of what went wrong with the defective product that caused your injury and who was responsible is vital to prosecuting a successful product liability case.
At The Smith Law Center, we are experts in investigating every aspect of a defective product case. We know where to look for the information required in establishing strong cases for our defective product injury clients. We understand the many layers involved in each case, and we know how to get answers to the questions which the makers of products don’t like to disclose.
The Smith Law Center offers products liability legal representation across a wide range of consumer products, including aircraft, auto equipment, boats and boating equipment, insecticides, medical devices, hazardous substances, highway safety equipment, household refrigerators, packaging, mobile homes, motor vehicles, natural gas pipelines and products related to occupational safety and health.
PROVING A PRODUCTS LIABILITY CLAIM
Securing Evidence for Defective Products
After you have received proper medical attention for an injury incurred through a defective product, you or a family member should contact an attorney immediately to assist you in securing and protecting the integrity of the physical evidence that caused the injury. While no product liability case is the same, every case requires making critical decisions early in the process. We move swiftly to prevent potential evidence tampering by third parties.
Don’t forget that the moment you are injured by a company’s defective item or failure to adequately warn you of its hazards, you become a liability to the manufacturer. Retaining an attorney from our offices ensures that the evidence is properly collected and analyzed by experts for testimony before a court of law.
Product Liability Research & Investigation
Once the evidence is secured, it needs to be fully reviewed and analyzed against existing laws regarding the product’s history, use, and prior problems. The federal government has established numerous agencies and laws to monitor and ensure that products manufactured in the United States do not pose threats to public safety. In addition, information from private foundations and consumer advocacy groups about the safety requirements and standards for specific products is abundant.
However, the amount of information can often be overwhelming for the average person, particularly if the injury he or she has incurred is severe and impairs their ability to function normally.
Through our work on numerous product liability cases, the attorneys at The Smith Law Center have established winning processes that coordinate the multiple levels of research and inquiry required to build a strong case. Our knowledge and application of the many laws that govern products liability is a critical asset to our clients.
Expert Testimonials
Expert testimony is another important factor in most product liability cases. The Smith Law Center has access to a nationwide network of subject matter experts across a broad range of product areas. We work hard to obtain the right expert to offer scientific and/or professional expertise about the defective product that will greatly strengthen your personal injury claim and our odds of success in a court of law.
VIRGINIA PRODUCTS LIABILITY ATTORNEY
There is a great deal more to products liability law than has been addressed here, but it’s clear that an attorney is essential in any personal injury claim resulting from a defective product. If you or a family member has been significantly injured through a defective product, contact The Smith Law Center today for a free consultation at (757) 695-9263.





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SPEAK TO US NOW FOR FREE
Your legal questions answered, completely free of charge.
IF WE DON’T WIN, YOU DON’T PAY
There are absolutely no out-of-pocket fees for filing a claim.
If you or a relative had a severe reaction to military housing mold, it might be time to talk with a toxic mold lawyer. Mold is everywhere, and can be dangerous. Researchers have linked mold to serious respiratory illnesses in some individuals.
Smith Law Center may be able to help if a property owner failed to keep you safe from mold in your military housing. We are one of Virginia’s oldest and most successful firms. We know how to hold negligent property owners responsible, especially when the military is involved.
Call us at (757) 244-700 or contact us online to set up a free consultation. There’s no fee for learning more about Virginia mold laws, your rights, and your legal options.
Mold in Military Housing
Black mold in military housing became widely known when Reuters published an investigation in 2018. Since then, the Department of Defense and the housing providers were supposed to take steps to improve the situation.
Unfortunately, a 2020 audit by the DoD Office of Inspector General found many issues, including the need for mold remediation, still persist.
Monetary Awards in Military Housing Toxic Mold Cases
If the property owner lets toxic mold run wild and continue to cause you harm, talk with our toxic mold attorneys about filing a lawsuit.
You may receive financial compensation for:
- Property damage
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Medical bills
- Pain and suffering
Service members and their families do not receive different types of damages than civilians. These are civil lawsuits in traditional courts of law.
Military Housing Mold Toxicity Symptoms
The Institute of Medicine discovered there was evidence connecting exposure to indoor mold with:
- Upper respiratory tract symptoms;
- Coughing;
- Wheezing;
- Asthma symptoms in individuals with asthma; and
- Hypersensitivity pneumonitis in individuals with weak immune systems.
There is also limited evidence that mold causes respiratory illnesses in healthy children or causes people to develop asthma.
Understanding Exposure to Toxic Mold in Military Housing
The topic of toxic mold is complicated. This Is in part because the term “toxic mold” isn’t accurate. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explains mold isn’t toxic or poisonous. However, some molds are toxigenic, which means they produce toxins called mycotoxins.
Mold is common in military housing because it’ll grow anywhere there’s moisture. That includes on and inside walls, carpet, upholstery, wallpaper, and heating and air conditioning systems. This is especially pronounced in humid conditions such as those present in Virginia.
Some people have no difficulties around mold, even large infestations in their homes. Other individuals are sensitive to molds, including those that produce mycotoxins. Someone can have a severe reaction when exposed to a large amount of mold indoors.
People may be more likely to experience mold toxicity symptoms if they have:
- Allergies,
- An underlying lung disease,
- Immune suppression,
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder,
- Asthma, or
- Another chronic respiratory disease.
Common Types of Military Housing Mold
When you’re trying to learn more from the CDC and other resources, you’ll see the word “fungus” a lot. Mold is a type of fungus, which is something that exists all around us. Fungi are living organisms different from animals, plants, and bacteria. There are over 200,000 types of fungi and over 100,000 types of molds.
If you discovered mold in your military housing, it could be Cladosporium, Penicillium, Stachybotrys chartarum, Aspergillus, or many other types. Stachybotrys is what everyone knows as black mold. Aspergillus is a common indoor fungus, which releases mycotoxins and can cause illness. Your symptoms may resemble common allergy or asthma symptoms.
Who is Liable for Military Housing Mold?
Since 1996, most military housing has come under the management of private companies:
- Belfour Beatty Communities: Fort Eustis and Fort Story/li>
- Lincoln Military Housing: Dahlgren, Little Creek, Naval Station Norfolk, Northwest Annex, Oceana, Portsmouth, Quantico, and Yorktown/li>
- Hunt Military Communities: Fort Lee and Langley AFB
Outside of Virginia, Lendlease and Corvias Military Living are two more housing providers. Together, these five companies formed the Military Housing Association.
Military families living in on-base housing must take their complaints to their private management company — not the military. The company is responsible for providing habitable conditions and making repairs, including mold remediation.
If you’re unsure about your rights, review your state law and local ordinances about mold. In general, it’s the landlord’s responsibility to provide a habitable unit, which means it has to be safe to live in. A unit isn’t safe if it’s causing a tenant health issues due to mold.
The Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act requires landlords to disclose if there’s mold in the written report of the move-in inspection. If a tenant discovers visible mold in the unit, then the Act requires the landlord to remove the mold and relocate the tenant until it’s gone at no additional cost to the tenant.
Unfortunately, many families find their housing providers aren’t receptive to complaints. Attorney Stephen M. Smith has handled many mold lawsuits against military housing providers who fail to abide by their lease terms and the law when it comes to mold remediation and other hazards.
Other Hazards in Military Housing
Many service members and their families deal with uncomfortable, if not hazardous, conditions in privatized military housing, including:
Lead Paint: Lead-based paint can cause headaches, nausea, fatigue, irritability, behavioral problems, learning disabilities, seizures, organ damage, and in extreme cases, death.
Asbestos: Exposure to asbestos harms a person’s lungs, and can lead to lung fibrosis (scarring), lung cancer, and mesothelioma.
Radon: Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking. It naturally forms underground, however cracks and gaps in buildings lead to over-exposure indoors.
Poor Water Quality: Dozens of military sites have water with detectable levels of harmful chemicals.
Other issues involve rodent or insect infestations, pesticides, and faulty electrical wiring.
What Happens When a Lot of People Get Sick?
Sometimes mold exposure impacts a single individual or family. However, when the mold spreads throughout military housing, it can impact hundreds or thousands of people.
Occasionally, a large enough group of people are injured to allow for a class action or mass tort lawsuit. A class action lawsuit is one where a class representative acts as the plaintiff on behalf of the group of hurt individuals. Not every victim participates in the lawsuit. There are rules about when a group is big and similar enough to create a class action.
Mass tort lawsuits are different. When there are fewer plaintiffs who have their own set of circumstances, each person files a lawsuit. For efficiency’s sake, one or a couple of law firms may represent most plaintiffs, and the lawsuits are consolidated in a federal court.
Call the Military Housing Mold Lawyers at Smith Law Center for Help Right Away
Mold cases come about in a few ways. You or a loved one may start getting sick, and after weeks or months of struggling to find answers, you finally realize your military housing has a mold infestation. In other cases, you struggle with visible mold and then become ill.
Once you connect the illness with the mold, it’s time to talk with a toxic mold lawyer. Reaching out to an attorney early helps you build a strong compensation claim. We know how to collect evidence, identify who is liable, and craft a successful argument for a settlement or court award.
Attorney Stephen M. Smith has decades of experience handling injury claims and has been internationally recognized for his work. He has litigated cases involving catastrophic injuries and complex legal and scientific issues. In 2019, he was inducted into the Virginia Lawyers Hall of Fame.
You’re in good hands when you come to Smith Law Center for help. Reach out online or call (757) 244-7000 to schedule your 100% free consultation.
Military Housing Mold Lawsuits: FAQs
DELIVERING RESULTS SINCE 1949
We are one of Virginia’s largest and most successful law firms.
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WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU
Use the simple form below to send a message directly to our lawyers. We will respond within 1 hour or less during business hours.